AT 400 AM EST...0900Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM PALOMA WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 15.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.2 WEST OR ABOUT
65 MILES...110 KM...EAST OF CABO GRACIAS A DIOS ON THE
NICARAGUA/HONDURAS BORDER.

PALOMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH...11 KM/HR.
THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH A
GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTH EXPECTED ON FRIDAY.

REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE
THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 40 MPH...
65 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST
DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...AND PALOMA COULD BECOME A
HURRICANE ON FRIDAY.

at 4 PM EST...2100 UTC...the government of the Cayman Islands has
issued a Hurricane Warning for the Cayman Islands. A Hurricane
Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected within the
warning area within the next 24 hours. Preparations to protect life
and property should be rushed to completion.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 65 mph...100
km/hr...with higher gusts. Further strengthening is likely and
Paloma is expected to become a hurricane later tonight or tomorrow.

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Staff

At 4 PM EST...the government of Cuba has issued a Tropical Storm
Warning for the Cuban province of Granma. A Tropical Storm Warning
and a Hurricane Watch are now in effect for the Cuban province of
Granma. A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are
possible within the watch area...generally within 36 hours. A
Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are
expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours.

A Hurricane Warning remains in effect for the Cayman Islands.
Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to
completion.

Interests elsewhere in Cuba and the central Bahamas should
closely monitor the progress of Paloma.

At 400 PM EST...2100z...the center of Hurricane Paloma was located
near latitude 18.7 north...longitude 81.3 west or about 40 miles...
70 km...south of Grand Cayman and about 290 miles...465 km...
southwest of Camaguey Cuba.

Paloma is moving toward the north-northeast near 6 mph...9 km/hr. A
turn toward the northeast is expected overnight and that general
motion is expected for the next couple of days. On the forecast
track...the center of Paloma will pass near the Cayman Islands
tonight or early Saturday and be approaching the coast of central
Cuba late Saturday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 105 mph...165 km/hr...with higher
gusts. Paloma is a category two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson
scale.Further strengthening is likely and Paloma could become a
category three hurricane tonight or early tomorrow. Slow weakening
is possible by late Saturday.

Storm surge flooding of 5 to 7 feet above normal tide levels...
accompanied by large and dangerous battering waves...is expected
near the center of Paloma in the Cayman Islands. Storm surge
flooding of 8 to 12 feet is expected near and to the east of where
the center of Paloma makes landfall along the South Coast of Cuba.

Paloma is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 5 to
10 inches over the Cayman Islands and central and eastern Cuba with
isolated maximum totals of 15 inches possible. Flash flood and
mudslides are also possible...especially in higher terrain.

...Dangerous major Hurricane Paloma continuing to strengthen as it
slowly approaches Grand Cayman...

a Hurricane Warning is in effect for the Cayman Islands.
Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to
completion.

A Hurricane Warning is also in effect for the Cuban provinces of
Sancti Spiritus...Ciego de Avila...Camaguey and Las Tunas. A
Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected
within the warning area within the next 24 hours. Preparations to
protect life and property should be rushed to completion.

A Tropical Storm Warning and a Hurricane Watch are in effect for
the Cuban province of Granma. A Hurricane Watch means that
hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area...generally
within 36 hours. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical
storm conditions are expected within the warning area within the
next 24 hours.

Interests elsewhere in Cuba and the central Bahamas should
closely monitor the progress of Paloma.

Paloma is moving toward the north-northeast near 6 mph...9 km/hr. A
gradual turn toward the northeast is forecast to occur overnight and
that general motion is expected for the next couple of days. On the
forecast track...the center of Paloma will pass near Grand Cayman
tonight...be near Cayman Brac Saturday morning...and be approaching
the coast of central Cuba late Saturday.

Data from an Air Force Reserve unit hurricane hunter aircraft
indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 115
mph...185 km/hr...with higher gusts. Paloma is now a category three
hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Additional strengthening is
possible through Saturday morning. Afterward...gradual weakening
is expected to begin by late Saturday.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 25 miles...35 km...from
the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 120
miles...195 km. During the past hour...several reports of sustained
winds near 60 mph...97 km/hr...with gusts to near 80 mph...130
km/hr...have been received from amateur/ham radio operators on
Grand Cayman.

Storm surge flooding of 5 to 7 feet above normal tide levels...
accompanied by large and dangerous battering waves...is expected
near the center of Paloma in the Cayman Islands. Storm surge
flooding of 8 to 12 feet is expected near and to the east of where
the center of Paloma makes landfall along the South Coast of Cuba.

Paloma is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 5 to
10 inches over the Cayman Islands and central and eastern Cuba with
isolated maximum totals of 15 inches possible. Flash flood and
mudslides are also possible...especially in higher terrain.